2 of 4Classic under-2-liter races run through Schenley Park during the Pittsburgh Vinrage Grand Prix, which has evolved into a 10-day event.

Photo by Michael Sanata

3 of 4MG was the featured marque at the 2012 Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. Mustang has earned that honor for the 2013 event.

Photo by Michael Sanata

4 of 4Roughly 250,000 enthusiasts attended the 2012 Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. Many of the events, including the vintage races at Schenley Park, were open to attendees free of charge.

Photo by Michael Sanata

Since it was founded in 1983, the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix has grown from a series of races held on the roads of Pittsburg's Schenley Park to a roughly 10-day marathon of galas, vintage racing, and car culture events. PVGP celebrated its 30th year in July 2012—and organizers estimate that as many as 250,000 attendees showed up for the party.

That figure is impressive, but it's matched by the PVGP's contributions to its charitable partners: the Autism Society of Pittsburgh and the Allegheny Valley School. At a ceremony last week, the PVGP donated a record-setting $250,000 to the two organizations. That makes for a total of $3.2 million in charitable donations since 1983.

That many PVGP events—including the races at Schenley Park—are open to the public free of charge only makes that history of donations more remarkable. Because the event doesn't raise money via ticket sales, it has developed other means of covering costs and ensuring there's plenty left for charity, according to PVGP executive director Daniel DelBianco.

The Autism Society of Pittsburgh and the Allegheny Valley School—an organization founded to aid children and adults with developmental disabilities—have been charitable partners of the PVGP for three decades. They were suggested by Myron Cope, sportscaster and “voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers.”

Graham Kozak
- Graham Kozak drove a 1951 Packard 200 sedan in high school because he wanted something that would be easy to find in a parking lot. He thinks all the things they're doing with fuel injection and seatbelts these days are pretty nifty too.
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